The Echoes Of Autumn | Minseok

Chapter Twenty

I sat there frozen staring blankly into space. Whatever, I had just seen I couldn't seem to process it.

Jongdae.

Sumi.

They were guardians, they were binded and partnered together only to be severed apart by me. 

I felt the Shinwon's leather binder slip from the grips of my clammy hands and saw it vanish from Junmyeon's hands leaving me confused.

There was an uncomfortable and tense silence left in the air before it was broken by the sound of a familiar poem being recited to me, one that has kept we awake at nights as I tried to decipher the meaning behind it 

'A once heart was beating, ticking with life

Now is lost within a sleepless night

Where darkness consumes them

Time is broken into shattered deaths

Until there is simply nothing left

Unless a glimmer of light can complete this quest.'

"Have you worked out what this poem means yet Minseok?" Jumnyeon questioned leaning closer to me.

"No, but Jumnyeon I am confused... How on earth do you know about this poem!?" I whispered weakly. 

"All shall be clear soon Minseok. But as of now I need to explain to you the burden that has been placed on your shoulders.." He simply stated as I stared back at him with a blank expression.

"Essentially Minseok this poem was about three things you, Oh Sumi and time itself...I am aware that you have seen Sumi where she is 'lost in a sleepless night' this is because her memories have been separated from her body. This is why she cannot remember you and the figure you saw of her unconscious is merely a representation of her memories..."

He paused for a moment and looked at me for confirmation that I was following so I titled my head slightly eager to find out more.

"She is surrounded by darkness and so is the timeline of the past and future due to what Jongdae has experimented with. Although, he never meant to get Sumi into state of unconsciousness so his plan was flawed in a way. 'Time is broken into shattered deaths' this is already taking place where the past and future are ceasing to exist or act under Jongdae's control."

"But where do I fit into this? For all I know I have no idea why I am travelling back and forth through time?" I blurted out asking unable to contain my frustration and confusion.

I was overwhelmed. I was finding it hard to believe that Jongdae was possible of all this. That our friendship was built upon jealously. 

"Minseok, I know this is hard but I need you to know that Oh Sumi is remembering... More specifically she is remembering you and Jongdae is growing rather irritated by that causing him to expirement which is creating multiple tears across time.."

I froze for a minute upon hearing the fact that Sumi was gaining her memories back.

That she was remembering me.

"There's a but coming isn't there Jumnyeon..?" I asked looking directly into his eyes  which made me suddenly think of Shinwon.

Why couldn't he be the one to tell me this?

"Unfortunately yes... Sumi made the basis of this so called alternative past that has been created and that you are always summoned to. Originally we thought just by letting you two fall in love again would help her regain her memories but its not enough anymore. That alternative past seems to be growing stronger by the second."  His facial expression seemed to drop slightly upon saying those words.